INTRODUCTION TO CRYPTOGAMIC BOTANY. 91 



bursts through the integuments and becomes free. In (Edogo- 

 nium, in like manner, an aperture is formed for the admis- 

 sion of the spermatozoids to the endochrome, which then 

 acquires an integument, and becomes a spore, while in Bul- 

 bochcete, the same purpose is effected by a little fissure ; the 

 spore of the latter falls out after impregnation and then elon- 

 gates, the endochrome dividing at length into four, each por- 

 tion of which gives rise to a zoospore, furnished with two 

 bundles of flagelliform ciha. 



69. Both in (Edogonium (Fig. 26, a, c) and BulbochoBte (Fig. 

 26, 6) little bodies* are formed on the walls of the spore cell, 

 which seem, at first, like germinating spores. They acquire one 

 or two dissepiments, and then discharge their contents from the 

 ruptured apex. These, in all probability, are the antheridia. 

 Their existence has only very lately been published, but they 

 have been known some time to close observers. I have a sketch 

 from Mr. Thwaites, in a letter dated April 22, 1846, which is 

 here reproduced (Fig. 26, a) ; and I also received a mounted 

 specimen, at the same time, in which the bodies are some- 

 times more numerous than in the figure. Here and there 



Fig. 26. 



a Fertile joints of the (Edogonium with Antheridia, from a sketch 

 by Mr. Thwaites, compared with a mounted specimen, April 18, 1846. 



b Spore case of Bulhocheete crassa, Pringa., with Antheridium, from 

 a mounted specimen from Mr. Thwaites, May, 1847. 



c Zoospores of (Edogonium vesicatum, after Thuret. 



* Thuret has evidently figured one of these, 1, c, tab. 19, fig. 9, though 

 he was not aware of its nature. These little bodies forcibly remind 

 one of the processes produced on the spores of Dacrymyces deliquescens. 

 Dub., as mentioned above, p. 44. 



